Ant McPartlin to miss I’m A Celebrity 2018

Ant McPartlin has confirmed he will take the "rest of the year off".
The 42-year-old TV presenter’s decision – which comes after he was fined £86,000 for drink-driving earlier this year – means he will not co-host ‘I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!’ alongside presenting partner Declan Donnelly in November.
He and Dec have also decided to rest ‘Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway’, which was due to air again in spring 2019.
Ant – who has recently spent time in a rehabilitation facility – said in a statement: "My recovery is going very well and for that to continue having spoken to Dec and ITV, I have made the decision to take the rest of the year off.
"I’d like to thank both Dec and ITV for their continued support and I look forward to getting back to work in the new year."
Dec added: "Whilst I am obviously sad at the thought of being without my best friend in Australia this year, I am proud of the work Ant has been doing privately and I am fully supportive of his decision.
"I’m looking forward to us both being reunited on screen in 2019."
However, Ant and Dec are set to bring ‘Saturday Night Takeaway’ back "bigger and better than ever" in 2020.
A statement on their joint website read: "Neither Ant & Dec nor ITV wanted to compromise the quality of the show and therefore felt it was better to rest the series next year.
"They will instead bring the show back in 2020, bigger and better than ever."
Earlier this year, Dec presented the ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ live shows and the later episodes of ‘Saturday Night Takeaway’ on his own after Ant was admitted to rehab.
ITV bosses are set to make an announcement about their plans for the upcoming ‘I’m A Celebrity’ series "in due course".
Kevin Lygo, ITV director of television, said: "ITV is completely supportive of Ant taking as much time as he needs in his recovery and of this mutual decision to rest ‘Takeaway’ in 2019.
"Ant is clearly making good progress and we wish him all the very best and look forward to him returning to ITV next year.
"An announcement on ‘I’m A Celebrity’ plans will be made in due course."